Author
Topic: [Atres Manor] Everything Stays *OOC* (Read 22001 times)

I'm shortly going to be starting a game in the Moderated Section. It's going to be a fantasy-type setting, pseudo-medieval/Roman empire (although not necessarily as you may know it.) I would like to restrict character ideas to humans (or at least, creatures with a mostly human base). Magic will be considered on a case by case basis, but I'd like to keep it fairly low magic. I'm looking for five or six characters. Please PM me your character for approval before you post it here. Thanks. Game should be going live this coming Saturday. I'll try to send specific information that your character would have before then, but I make no promises.

NameAgeGenderProfessionBackground, including (especially) any dark secrets, and basic personalityAt least one thing that scares your characterAt least one thing that angers and/or upsets your characterAnything else you would like to add*Any issues you AS A PLAYER have trouble with and would like to avoid (torture or child abuse, for example)

Players - Captain PenguinEchoMirageAdakieKippenMurometzScrasamax

*EDIT*Okay, game has gone live! Stereotypical dark and stormy night, make with the introducing. I know some of the players haven't posted their character write-ups on this thread yet; when you get a chance, please do so. Also, I know Captain and Echo and Muro all know each other, but Adakie and Kippen are friends of mine from real life, so please try not to scare them off, kay. I'm going to be doing enough of the scaring. Also, in case it wasn't clear, Christopher, the NPC I just intro'd is actually inside.

Aher was originally a young farmboy from a barren steppe region of pastoral peoples. Seeking adventure, he contracted with a mercenary company known as the Most High Aphani Brotherhood of Warriors. Trained as a warrior among the Aphani in their petty battles against tribes in the wilderness, Aher became a minor captain in the Brotherhood.

Eventually, the Aphani recieved a grand contract indeed, from the Emperor Nagh-Ul Daitgok himself. Daitgok's empire had recently gained control of a province through military conquest; the province promptly erupted into bloody rebellion.Daitgok was infuriated, and hired the Aphani. He sent them, along with an army of Imperial regulars, into the rebellious province.

The rebellion was smashed, the ringleaders (those not slain in battle) were rounded up and crucified, and the harsh fist of Imperial justice was brought down on the province. But the Aphani refused to stop. The Imperial reconquest quickly devolved into an animalistic orgy of violence, rape, and pillage, and unspeakable atrocities were committed against the war-scarred province and it's ravaged populace; the Emperor turned a blind eye.

Aher, only a young man, and what's more, a profane and veteran mercenary warrior, was no exception. Caught up in the tide of violence, Aher himself committed acts which others would shudder to imagine.

Soon, however, Daitgok could no longer reasonably punish the province. He withdrew the mercenaries, keeping them on Imperial contract, and farmed them out to various relatively tranquil islands and provinces throughout the Empire for several years, places where the Aphani would be satiated but were not in danger of erupting again.

But Aher could not forget what he had done in the bloodstained streets of Khogholaika as the screams and pleas rang out around him, or what had been perpetrated knee-deep in gore on the plains of Syaph in the shadow of the pile of severed heads, or in the women's-houses of Nashod where veils and robes lay shredded on the floors like tattered rugs, or the royal nursery in Aun Dekhara... No longer able to reconcile himself with the crude and casual violence of the Aphasi, and mired in depression and self-hatred, Aher demanded a cash on his contract, and payed out of the Brotherhood.

Disillusioned, ultimately cynical, full of self-loathing, Aher became a supreme nihilist. Spending a short time in the Imperial capitol (where, among a mob rioting for bread, he threw bricks and stones at the gates of Daitgok's palace), Aher came to hate the Empire and it's ways, and indeed, came to regard human civilization as something hideous and abominable.

He sought a renunciation of humanity. Wandering north and west out of the Empire, he came to dwell among the anchorites of the wilderness, living in the dark, chilly warrens of the monastery, where, slowly, his eyes dimmed, his joints began to ache, and his hair went silver-grey.

Among the anchorites, he learned to read, and then to write, and write he did. He became "Wolfhound the Historian", and the monks marveled at his passion for history. Churning forth scroll after scroll, Aher wrote hundreds of military histories, detailing thousands of campaigns, wars, and battles, examining the rises and falls of little known nations, and most of all, the hand of that grim spectre Violence in human nature. His works were profoundly nihilistic, cynical, weary, and clinical; those few copies that found their way out into the outside world became known among the literate as among the foremost histories, if also the most depressing.

Yet now, Aher is old and tired, and after all these years, has come to regard life as nothing but darkness. What Aher most fears is the darkness which is closing around him- he cannot percieve a way to defeat the infinite hopelessness that fills him. Profoundly depressed and disillusioned, he no longer even writes histories. The only work scratched by his pen in the eternal twilight of the underground monastery is his opus, the vast, labyrinthine, torturous work, never read by any but himself (not even the monks have been allowed to see it) known as "The Great Folly".

At least one thing that scares your character-

Aher has a nightmare, a recurring nightmare which comes with great frequency. In this nightmare, he is standing once again on the windy steppes of his youth. The wind blows into his face, riffling his short, silver hair and blowing his monkish robes about him. But then the wind ceases. The air slowly fills with an abominable stench, the smell of all the rotting flesh which as ever existed. Before Aher's eyes there is blood, endless blood, a limitless sea of blood which rises from the gap in the mountains in a crimson tidal wave, containing the massed bodies of all the dead he has ever seen and killed, a storm of dead flesh, rising over him. And atop it, on a raft made from broken lances lashed together, there is Death, a dessicated monk in a robe made of living moths, who smiles at Aher.

This dream, above all things, frightens Aher. On his worst days, Aher imagines that the sea of blood shall slam through the corridors of the monastery, and Father Darkness in his robe of moths shall smile at him from out of the gloom.

At least one thing that angers and/or upsets your character-

Aher is a decent individual. His hackles are raised by cruelty to beasts and the callousness of humans toward each other. But he is mostly numb to many of the small injustices of the world.Only one thing truly angers him (besides himself), and that is the mistreatment of children, especially since seeing acts such as these rub bitter salt into old wounds and arouse memories of things that Aher himself has done.

Born into a smith’s family in a rather untamed land north of the borders of the Empire, Gerwulf had the prospect of a rather predictable life – take over father’s business, work hard, marry and have numerous children. Except for raids from neighbouring tribes, and the sky falling on his head, he had little to worry about.As the reader will have already guessed, this was not to come to pass.

Why?

Mainly, it was Gerwulf’s fault. While not dumb or clumsy, he always cared about other things than father’s honest trade. Whether it was chatting with the village witch, the travelling storyteller, or trying to find fairies in the forest, his curiosity led him away from the forge.His younger brother, Wilhelm, was much more to father’s liking, for he took to the hammer naturally.With five other children, all of them daughters, the old smith was more than glad when his good-for-nothing son left with an itinerant bard, and all he wanted was one hammer, “to learn the trade one day” and a week’s provisions.

The trade learn he did, though he became a mediocre smith. Gerwulf’s real talent was what one would call the Gift of Tongues – and excellent memory and ability to pick up new languages as he went. His tutor, Marwald, provided him with a vast repertoire of songs and poems, as well as the skill with the lute and harp – as well as ways a traveller can fill his purse when the desire for song is low: theft, scams, and similar. For thievery, Gerwulf was less than suited, being almost seven feet tall, but his pleasant manner, honest face and quick wit allowed him to trick many a merchant, or win the heart of a lonely lady.

So he became what he is today – a free-spirited voyager, ever curious and lively. In some places, sharp tongue and overly hot blood have made him enemies, in others, friends.

Besides for the passion for damsels, Gerwulf was fascinated with another kind of elusive creature – the fey. Collecting all stories about them, and visiting all places where they were supposed to dwell, he strived hard to catch a glimpse of the elusive elves – with little success, I must add. Gerwulf has made up a few stories about his encounters with the magical critters though. Well, truth and Gerwulf tend to walk different paths when he deems it necessary. He calls it “improving” the truth and making it “pretty and interesting”.

Being quite successful, bad conscience caught up with him – thus he decided to visit home once more, and leave a little of his fortunes, as to help Wilhelm and father to grant his sisters a decent dowry.Ah, this is another point where it becomes obvious that something unpleasant was to happen. Indeed, when Gerwulf arrived at the old smithy, it was far less lively than he had it in memory: his sisters were gone. Married? Not so. One night not long ago, they had vanished without a trace. No signs of violence were to be seen, and both the parents and Wilhelm slept hard, as if drugged. The windows and the door were all barred from the inside, and all the possessions of the girls neatly packed. That surely was a work of witchcraft.Though the villagers accused their resident witch for a while, they all soon realized that she was too puny to pull off such grand magic.To Gerwulf, the case was clear.You are right, of course.He though the Elves did it.

So, now we have Gerwulf, armed with a thousand songs, insatiable curiosity, and a huge hammer, chasing after fairies of which he is sure they exist, but lacks any evidence, or even a hint of the place where he should start looking.

Gerwulf is a tall redhead, standing six feet six inches. Rather broad of build, he might appear as a brute at first glance, if not for the tricky spark in his eyes, the brazen grin and colourful attire.The hair in long braids, goatee and moustache to complement it, and wearing a broad-brimmed hat with feathers and ribbons, he’s quite noticeable. And, though he’d never admit it, that is the way he likes it, centre of attention. Quite often, he employs a sidekick to pilfer a few pockets while he distracts the audience.When travelling, he wears a long coat of dull leather, yet it is striking red and orange from the inside - Gerwulf turns the coat when performing. Underneath, he wears an embroided shirt, and a striking red scarf. When not trying to be sneaky, he adds a few jingle bells for good measure.As if this was not enough, he has trained a raven that he found when it was a chick, fallen out of the nest, a few tricks, as well as several words, most notably “donations!”

Currently, he's nearing the end of his twenties, a thing which actually scares him. For, intrepid and bold as he may be, Gerwulf is afraid of getting old. It is as simple as that. There's a certain drive inside him to accomplish >something< before he passes away, but he has no clue as to what it should be, and how he should do it.

Generally, Gerwulf is a happy-go-lucky type, quite irresponsible and irreverent, a little too full of himself. Sometimes, he has problems with the concepts of private property and marriage. He has a general dislike of authorities, and gets genuinely angry when somone tries to command him. After all, he's a bard, he is free.Quite a hedonist, he likes comfort, good food and drink where he can get it, and can be a wastrel from time to time. Still, he prefers to get the luxuries for free, even if he can afford them, this being a matter of pride. Ah, pride. Yes, he's quite proud. To round up his flaws, Gerwulf is susceptible to the lure of gold: he likes to steal it and recieve it. Honest work carries little interest for him.Most often, he has lots of pals, but only a few friends, here and there. Those are a different matter: one thing Gerwulf can really value is friendship. What he cand stand are long and sour faces - the more dire the circumstances, the more he tries to lighten things up.

As for skills, he's a good bard, with a strong voice, and the proverbial spark.Speech, memory and music are his greatest assets.Gerwulf is decent at smithing and subterfuge; fighting is not one of his greatest assets - his size and strength most often must compensate for a lack of skill - he's not inept, but rather untrained.Besides this, he has picked up basic skill in a few trades that are useful on the road - like leatherworking, cooking, and poaching. While he owns a sturdy horse, he's not a battle-hardened rider.

« Last Edit: March 29, 2006, 12:27:17 PM by EchoMirage »

Logged

"Captain, the buttocks are moving from the pink into the red and purple spectrum! We cannot maintain this rate of spanking any longer!"

Appearance: Karen is a petite woman, standing five foot three inches tall. She rather stands out with her auburn hair and pale complexion. There is certainly Saxon and Celt in her family tree. Unlike most of the women in her hometown, Karen never married or had any children. By some unknown defect her womb is barren and no self-respecting citizen wanted a barren wife. She took up her belongings and left the town, deciding to take her chances on the road rather than surrender the squalid life of a small town prostitute. Given her moxie and intelligence, she found a new source of employment, becoming a clerk and book keeper for the Army. She learned some of the basics, but found her true calling in the field of intelligence, keeping an eye on the soldiers, looking for spies and moles. She was good at her job too.

After almost a decade of service to the legions, she found herself discharged without pension, or payroll. One of the last men she had uncovered as an informant had friends in high places and say not only to his exoneration, but to her being dishonorably discharged on trumped up charges of forgery, theft, fraud, and a host of other slanders. She was forced out of the capital and the military. Again the spectre of surrendering to the brothels rose to face her.

Never lacking for determination, Karen found employ with a mercenary band contracted to the legions. She saw that the band recieved its pay as was due. Seeing as the legions commander was shorting the mercenaries by 20% the merc commander was pleased with her work and made sure word got around that she was a good bird to work with. Since then she has been a wanderer, looking for some place to put down roots, some place accepting.

Karen is terrified of being forced into prostitution, she sees the brothels and taverns as nothing more than self imposed female slavery. She is also tormented by recurring dreams of having a baby and being a happy mother, sometihng she knows is impossible. This leads her to be easily angered if she sees children being treated poorly or even punished.

1. If you try to attack something, or do something where there is a chance you could fail the action, just post your action and I'll handle the result.

2. If you have an idea that would add to the atmosphere, please, let me know. The odds are very good I'll let you do it, but make sure first.

3. Standard thing of not controlling someone's character.

4. I am not generally out to kill you; however, if you do stupid crap, there will be consequences.

5. Anyone who disappears/doesn't post for two weeks without good reason or prior notice will have their character promptly eaten. I don't mind you not posting if there's a reason, but I would like to avoid thread death.

That's really about it. You're all experienced and good role-players, so there shouldn't be a problem.

Now that I've been intro-ed into the story I can safely post this. Sorry I couldn't before but, well, I'm not one to give away secrets. ~^

Name: Kei AckartAge: 15Gender: maleProfession: noneBackground, including (especially) any dark secrets, and basic personality:Kei has always been inquisitive. Born mildly psychic, he seems to know what people want to hear. And that is always what he tells them. He's always been able to charm people into seeing things his way and telling him what he wants to know. Whatever answers he could not get from people he found in books.He always loved to explore the woods around his home and venture into the outskirts of town. One day he came across a strange old house that he'd heard rumors about. Everyone in town said it was haunted and that strange things happened there. Curious about the rumors and the strange presence he could almost sense, he felt compelled to go inside. He has been trying to get back out ever since.

At least one thing that scares your character:Kei is terrified of snakes. It is a old phobia made worse by a terrible experience in the woods. He was bitten once as a child by a mildly poisonous snake that left him very sick for quite some time. If he even sees anything that looks like a snake he jumps and tries to get away.

At least one thing that angers and/or upsets your character:Kei is not comfortable around women. He finds them intimidating and a little scary, but can deal with it most of the time. This is because of many different reasons, one of which being that his mother was a very stern person. He also does not like to be touched or to have his personal space invaded by anyone.

Anything else you would like to add:Kei is easily distracted when he senses something new and interesting. He also tends to wander in the wrong direction unless he is actually thinking about which way he's going.

Tha hell?!? Not only your post, but there's two other posts missing. Granted, they were OOC, so that's not so important, but this is wierd. At least it's not just yours that vanish, because one was mine. Although, given some of what's been going on, they may show back up... All I know is I didn't delete them.

I have an issue, and it is a fairly large issue. I have talked two of my friends into joining this site for the sole purpose of being in this rp. I did a lot of talking about how the people here are very cool and very fun to play with. So Kippen and Adakie have joined.

Yet so far, their characters have been completely ignored for the most part. Now, I understand that part of this is a result of misreading the thread and part of this is the result of previous stated actions. But even after I brought this up, twice, no one actually responded to their characters until I brought in the second NPC. I don't know why this is, but I would like to and would very much like to fix the problem now. Kippen is on the verge of leaving the game, which I would very much like to avoid. I know that the people here aren't, generally speaking, elitist snobs, and I can't think of any other time of new players being ignored. This needs to change, and change now.

Not sure how to reply to this. Little insulted I must say. You sound a bit like your berating a bad employee, except I dont work for you .

I'm a NEW player too and my character has been ignored as well, after introducing himself. That didnt seem to bother you. It doesnt really bother me either, since interaction will come naturally, and doesnt have to be forced I'm guessing. I AM guilty of not noticing the initial faint and collapse, but I think I rp'd through that with my last post, mentioning Uppio's anxiety over possibly being found crouching over the body, thus rushing past it, when he heard others approaching.He's fearful, what can I say?

I'm new to this too. If I'm doing something wrong let me know. Dont really enjoy such rants. And why does EVERYONE have to respond to someone feinting? Your making it sound like your friends are the stars, and we are incidentals that need to cater to them.

PoisonAlchemist: Man Muro, you boost my confidence and then you just go crush it with a heartbreaking work of staggering genius.Pariah: Don't tell him things like that, if his head gets any bigger he'll float off like a weather ballon :p

Here is my honest opinion, and I am afraid that some people arent going to like it, and for that I really can make no apology.

Head up my ass? I take offence to that, if you look further up in the thread Karen talked to Kei, though admittedly the post is very short and sardonic, which is how I would portray a mercenary woman hardened by facing death, blood and war. Well, Kei certainly made no reply so there is a strike against interaction!

But wait, I'm not done. This rant is really just getting started. I have no problem with interaction, interaction, dialog, good description all make for the vital heart of a good RP. Now when that interaction falls to 'everyone pay attention to me!' that you loose my interest. My character isnt going to rush to someone side because they have shrieked and feinted, Karen as mentioned has been in combat and has seen people DIE. Death isnt pretty, death is convulsion and the person loosing control of their bowels before the last breath. In comparison, feinting, well she just looks like she is asleep.

Now the Lord of the manor has been abrasive, and I am sure that is in character but it doesnt make me want to stay, and someone shrieking in an old house, cliche? Perhaps, and unfortunatly I'm not interested. That being said, Karen can be treated as invisible, and intangible as she has been. Have fun and good luck with the game, I'm sure it has alot of promise and will be a great deal of fun.

I did not intend this the way it came out. I'm just trying to be a good GM, part of which involves making sure everyone is having fun, because, otherwise, what's the point? I'm not trying to favor one set of characters over another, and if I'm doing it, tell me. I don't know someone has a problem until they tell me.

I'm sorry about the cliche way it started off, but I'm not as good with openings as I am with the rest of it. And I'm sorry it's moved so slowly. If you want to keep playing (please), tell me what you want to see more of. Does the game need to go on hold while we work out issues? If it does, I'll put it on hold.

I just want everyone to enjoy this. If you are not, tell me, and tell me why.

On a basis purely regarding the game, my character hasn't reacted to them yet because he came in *after* the scream, neither of your friends' characters were in the main room when he entered, and he has only just now been hustled into the library, where your friends' characters currently are. Thus, I haven't exactly had a *chance* to react to your friends.

So, if you'll kindly leave me out of this.

Nobody is arguing against your ability to run the game, I don't think. I don't know about the others, but I'm simply responding to the statement that we have ignored your friends.